Information processing system, storage device, and calibration method

ABSTRACT

An information processing system includes a host and a storage device that transmits a first pulse signal to the host and receives a second pulse signal from the host through a transmission line. The storage device has a first register to store a value of a first parameter and correction circuit to adjust a first duty ratio of the first pulse signal according to the value of the first parameter. The host includes a first calibration processor that measures a plurality of the first duty ratios as output from the storage device for different values of the first parameter to derive a first optimum value based on the measured first duty ratios and transmit the derived first optimum value to the storage device as the value of the first parameter to be stored in the first register.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromJapanese Patent Application No. 2020-155600, filed Sep. 16, 2020, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate generally to an informationprocessing system, a storage device, and a calibration method.

BACKGROUND

In an information processing system in which a host and a storage devicetransmit and receive signals to and from each other through atransmission line, the signal transmission rate has remarkably increasedin recent years. With increased transmission rates, the required signalquality level becomes stricter. One way to improve signal quality is toprevent or reduce jitter, which is one of the factors that mightdeteriorate the signal quality, it is required to improve the accuracyin the duty ratio (also referred to as a duty cycle) of a signal pulsetransmitted over the transmission line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an information processing system according to a firstembodiment.

FIG. 2 depicts a comparison between a case where a duty ratio of a pulsesignal is sufficiently adjusted and a case where the duty ratio is notsufficiently adjusted.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of a calibration (a jittercalibration) related to the duty ratio of a pulse signal executed in aninformation processing system according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an observation result of thepulse signal at the time of calibration executed in an informationprocessing system according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 5 depicts connectors provided on both a storage device and a hostin an information processing system according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a process sequence diagram showing a flow of calibration for apulse signal output from a storage device, which is executed in aninformation processing system according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a process sequence diagram showing a flow of calibration for apulse signal output from a host, which is executed in an informationprocessing system according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a process sequence diagram showing a flow of calibration in aninformation processing system of a second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a process sequence diagram showing a flow of a jitter-DEFcalibration executed in an information processing system of a thirdembodiment.

FIG. 10 is a process sequence diagram showing a flow of calibration inan information processing system of a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 11 depicts a state in which a storage device according to a fifthembodiment is loopback-connected.

FIG. 12 is a process sequence diagram showing a flow of jittercalibration of a storage device of according to a fifth embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments provide an information processing system, a storage device,and a calibration method capable of appropriately adjusting a duty ratioof a pulse signal that is transmitted through a transmission line.

According to one or more embodiments, an information processing systemincludes a host and a storage device. The storage device is configuredto transmit a first pulse signal to the host through a transmission lineand receive a second pulse from the host through the transmission. Thestorage device has a first register configured to store a value of afirst parameter. The storage device also has a first correction circuitconfigured to adjust a first duty ratio of the first pulse signalaccording to the value of the first parameter in the first register. Thehost includes a first calibration processor that is configured to:measure a plurality of first duty ratios of the first pulse signal asoutput from the storage device with the value of the first parameter inthe first register being set to a plurality of different values; derivea first optimum value for the first parameter based on the measuredfirst duty ratios adjusted according to the plurality of values of thefirst parameter; and transmit the derived first optimum value to thestorage device as the value of the first parameter to be stored in thefirst register.

Hereinafter, certain example embodiments will be described withreference to the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 depicts an example configuration of an information processingsystem SYS of a first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the information processing system SYS of thefirst embodiment, a storage device 1 and a host 2 are connected througha transmission line such as an interface 3 or the like. The storagedevice 1 may be, for example, a solid-state drive (SSD). The host 2 maybe a server, a personal computer, or the like. The interface 3 may be ofa type complying with standards such as Serial Attached SCSI (SAS),Serial ATA (SATA), and PCI Express (PCIe®). The storage device 1 may bea device complying with a universal flash storage (UFS) standard.

The storage device 1 includes a controller 11, a NAND flash memory 12(“NAND 12”), and a DRAM 13.

The controller 11 executes a write operation of data to the NAND 12 anda read operation of data from the NAND 12 according to a command fromthe host 2. The controller 11 includes a host interface circuit 110(“host I/F 110”), a control unit 120, a NAND interface circuit 130(“NAND I/F 130”), an SRAM 140, and a universal asynchronousreceiver/transmitter (UART) 150. The controller 11 is configured as, forexample, a system on a chip (SoC).

The host I/F 110 controls communication with the host 2. The host I/F110 includes a PHY 111. The PHY 111 is a circuit that provides afunction of a physical layer of a lowest layer in the Open SystemsInterconnection (OSI) layer model. The PHY 111 includes a plurality ofports/lanes 301, a duty cycle correction (DCC) circuit 302, and aregister 303.

Each port/lane 301 includes a set of a transmission circuit Tx fortransmitting a signal and a reception circuit Rx for receiving a signal.The signal maybe, for example, a pulse signal. When the interface 3complies with SAS or SATA, the port/lane 301 functions as a “port” inthe PHY 111 of the host I/F 110. When the interface 3 complies withPCIe, the port/lane 301 functions as a “lane” in the PHY 111 of the hostI/F 110.

The DCC circuit 302 adjusts a duty ratio (also referred to as a dutycycle) of the pulse signal output from the transmission circuit Tx ofthe port/lane 301 to the interface 3. The register 303 stores aparameter for correcting a result for adjusting the duty ratio by theDCC circuit 302. This parameter can also be referred to as a “Count”herein. In a case where the DCC circuit 302 cannot completely, or to adesired extent, adjust the duty ratio of the pulse signal or where theadjusted result deviates due to a design defect, an individual defect, acompatibility problem, and the like, the duty ratio of the pulse signalcan be corrected by setting the Count by reference to the register 303.The Count of each port/lane 301 is stored in the register 303.

The control unit 120 controls components and the like in the storagedevice 1. The control unit 120 includes a calibration processing unit121, such as a calibration processor. The calibration processing unit121 cooperates with the host 2 to set an optimum value of the Count inthe register 303. The calibration processing unit 121 calibrates thepulse signal transmitted and received to and from the host 2.

The NAND I/F 130 controls writing of data to the NAND 12, reading ofdata from the NAND 12, and erasing of data stored in the NAND 12 underthe control of the control unit 120.

The SRAM 140 is a storage that volatilely stores data. The SRAM 140 isused, for example, as a loading area of a firmware stored in the NAND12.

The UART 150 is a circuit for inputting commands and parameters from theoutside via a connector complying with, for example, a universal serialbus (USB) standard or other interface standards.

The NAND 12 is a storage that stores data in a nonvolatile manner. TheDRAM 13 is a storage that volatilely stores data. The DRAM 13 is used,for example, as a buffer area for data to be written to the NAND 12 anddata read from the NAND. In one instance, the DRAM 13 may be provided inthe controller 11.

The host 2 includes a CPU 21, a main memory 22, and an interface (I/F)controller 23. The CPU 21, for example, loads various programs from thestorage device 1 to the main memory 22 and executes the programs. Theprograms include but not limited to a calibration processing program200. The calibration processing program 200 cooperates with the storagedevice 1 to derive the optimum value of the Count for each of thestorage device 1 and the host 2. For example, the calibration processingprogram 200 may be a module provided in the host 2 corresponding to thecalibration processing unit 121 of the storage device 1.

The I/F controller 23 is a bridge device that relays between the CPU 21of the host 2 and the storage device 1. Further, the I/F controller 23has a built-in PHY 231 paired with the PHY 111 of the storage device 1.

The PHY 231 of the host 2 also includes a plurality of ports/lanes 401,a DCC circuit 402, and a register 403 like the PHY 111 of the storagedevice 1. As shown in FIG. 1, there is a one-to-one correspondencebetween the plurality of ports/lanes 401 of the host 2 and the pluralityof ports/lanes 301 of the storage device 1. For example, the pulsesignal output from the transmission circuit Tx of one of the ports/lanes401 of the host 2 is input to the reception circuit Rx of one of theports/lanes 301 of the storage device 1 that corresponds to or is pairedwith the port/lane 401 used for that transmission. Likewise, the pulsesignal output from the transmission circuit Tx of one of ports/lanes 301of the storage device 1 is input to the reception circuit Rx of one ofthe ports/lanes 401 of the host 2 that corresponds to or paired with theport/lane 301 used for that transmission. The duty ratio of the pulsesignal output from the transmission circuit Tx of the port/lane 301 ofthe storage device 1 is adjusted by the DCC circuit 302. Ina case wherethe adjustment of the duty ratio by the DCC circuit 302 is notsufficient, the duty ratio can be corrected by setting the Count in theregister 303. The duty ratio of the pulse signal output from thetransmission circuit Tx of the port/lane 401 of the host 2 is adjustedby the DCC circuit 402. In a case where the adjustment of the duty ratioby the DCC circuit 402 is not sufficient, the duty ratio can becorrected by setting the Count in the register 403.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a comparison between a case where a dutyratio of a pulse signal is sufficiently adjusted and a case where a dutyratio of a pulse signal is not sufficiently adjusted.

For example, the waveform of the signal transmitted and received betweenthe storage device 1 and the host 2 is stable at a duty ratio in thevicinity of 50%, that is ideal in one instance. One example of a pulsesignal in a stable state at a duty ratio in the vicinity of 50% isdesignated as A1 in FIG. 2. The vertical axis represents amplitude, andthe horizontal axis represents time. The duty ratio can be obtained as:

duty ratio [%]=(H/T)×100

where T is a pulse period and H is a pulse width during a period whenthe amplitude is positive (or a “High” time). If a pulse width in aperiod when the amplitude is negative (or a “Low” time) is L, T=H+L.

One example of a waveform obtained by observing the pulse signal in thestate of A1 with an oscilloscope or the like is designated as B1 in FIG.2. The stable state at the duty ratio in the vicinity of 50% is a statein which jitter, one of the factors that affect a signal quality, isprevented or minimized. This state is referred to as “Jitter of Eye issmall” or the like. The DCC circuits 302 and 402 adjust the duty ratiosof the pulse signals output from the transmission circuits Tx of theports/lanes 301 and 401 so that each pulse signal becomes stable in thevicinity of 50%.

On the other hand, when the adjustment by the DCC circuits 302 and 402is not sufficient, the duty ratio deviates from the vicinity of 50%. Oneexample of a pulse signal in a state where H (High time) issignificantly larger than L (Low time) is designated as A2 in FIG. 2.One example of a waveform obtained by observing the pulse signal in thestate of A2 with an oscilloscope or the like is designated as B2 in FIG.3. The state in which the duty ratio deviates from the vicinity of 50%is a state in which the jitter is not prevented or not sufficientlymitigated. This state is referred to in this context as “Jitter of Eyeis large” or the like. When the jitter becomes large, there is apossibility of inducing various defects related to the interface (suchas error events at the interface 3).

In the information processing system SYS of the first embodiment, thehost 2 and the storage device 1 cooperate with each other toappropriately execute calibration, or set the parameter referred to asCount, for preventing or sufficiently mitigating such jitter. Suchcalibration may be referred to as jitter calibration herein.

FIG. 3 depicts an example calibration executed by the storage device 1and the host 2 in cooperation with each other in the informationprocessing system SYS according to the first embodiment.

In the first embodiment, there is a one-to-one correspondence betweenthe plurality of ports/lanes 401 of the host 2 and the plurality ofports/lanes 301 of the storage device 1. The pulse signal output fromthe transmission circuit Tx of one of the ports/lanes 401 of the host 2is input to the reception circuit Rx of one of the ports/lanes 301 ofthe storage device 1 that corresponds to or paired with the port/lane401 used for that transmission. The pulse signal output from thetransmission circuit Tx of one of the ports/lanes 301 of the storagedevice 1 is input to the reception circuit Rx of one of the ports/lanes401 of the host 2 that corresponds to or paired with the port/lane 301used for that transmission.

The duty ratio of the pulse signal output from the transmission circuitTx of the port/lane 401 of the host 2 is adjusted by the DCC circuit 402of the host 2 so as to be stable in the vicinity of 50%. The duty ratioof the pulse signal output from the transmission circuit Tx of theport/lane 301 of the storage device 1 is adjusted by the DCC circuit 302of the storage device 1 so as to be stable in the vicinity of 50%.

If the adjustment of the duty ratio by the DCC circuit 402 of the host 2is not sufficient, the duty ratio can be corrected by setting the Countwith respect to the register 403 of the host 2. If the adjustment of theduty ratio by the DCC circuit 302 of the storage device 1 is notsufficient, the duty ratio can be corrected by setting the Count withrespect to the register 303 of the storage device 1.

Therefore, the information processing system SYS of the first embodimentexecutes calibration for appropriately setting the Count.

For example, each of the transmission circuits Tx in the storage device1 and the host 2 changes a value of the Count (or Count value) from aminimum value to a maximum value (process (1) in FIG. 3). When the Countvalue changes, the duty ratio of the pulse signal output from thetransmission circuit Tx changes. Each of the reception circuits Rx inthe storage device 1 and the host 2, to which the pulse signal is input,observes the amplitude or duty ratio of High and Low with respect toeach Count value (process (2) of FIG. 3). Then, each transmissioncircuit Tx derives an optimum value of the Count based on thisobservation result. In one instance, the derivation of the Count valuemay be executed one by one in order. For example, the derivation of theCount value of the storage device 1 is first executed, and then thederivation of the Count value of the host 2 is executed. In anotherinstance, such derivation maybe executed in parallel for both the Countvalue of the storage device 1 and the Count value of the host 2.

FIG. 4 depicts an example result of observation of the pulse signal atthe reception circuit Rx corresponding to the transmission circuit Txfrom which that pulse signal has been output while changing the Countvalue from the minimum value to the maximum value.

In FIG. 4, the vertical axis represents an absolute value of theamplitude, and the horizontal axis represents the Count value. While inthe present example, the vertical axis represents the absolute value ofthe amplitude, it may represent the duty ratio in another example.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the pulse signal output from the transmissioncircuit Tx and input to the corresponding reception circuit Rx, when theCount value is the minimum value, the absolute value of the amplitude onthe High side is the maximum while the absolute value of the amplitudeon the Low side is the minimum. The amplitude on the High sidecorresponds to the amplitude of the period H in the pulse signal of theperiod T shown in FIG. 2, and the amplitude on the Low side correspondsto the amplitude of the period L in the pulse signal of the period Tshown in FIG. 2. As the Count value shifts from the minimum value to themaximum value, the absolute value of the amplitude on the High sidedecreases, and the absolute value of the amplitude on the Low sideincreases. When the Count value is the maximum value, the absolute valueof the amplitude on the High side is the minimum, and the absolute valueof the amplitude on the Low side is the maximum.

In one instance, the pulse signal is stable at a duty ratio in thevicinity of 50%. Therefore, when the absolute value of the amplitude onthe High side matches the absolute value of the amplitude on the Lowside (that is a cross point), the Count value is the optimum value. Inthe information processing system SYS of the first embodiment, thestorage device 1 and the host 2 cooperate with each other to derive, asan optimum value, the Count value when the absolute value of theamplitude on the High side matches the absolute value of the amplitudeon the Low side.

FIG. 5 depicts an example connector provided on each of the storagedevice 1 and the host 2 for connection therebetween.

The connector shown in FIG. 5 has a plurality of pins and is able tosupport each of SAS, SATA, SATA Express, and PCIe standards. In aninstance where the storage device 1 and the host 2 are connected viathis connector and the standard of the interface 3 is PCIe, four lanesof Lane 0 to Lane 3 can be used (connector portions a11 and a12). If thestandard of the interface 3 is SATA, one port (“1^(st) port) can be used(connector portion a21). If the standard of the interface 3 is SAS orSATA Express, two ports including a second port (“2^(nd) port”) inaddition to the 1^(st) port can be used (connector portions a21 anda22). If the standard of the interface 3 is SAS×4, four ports includingthe third port (“3^(rd) port”) and the fourth port (“4^(th) port”) inaddition to the 1^(st) and 2^(nd) ports can be used (connector portionsa21, a22, and a31).

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of example calibration for a pulse signaloutput from the transmission circuit Tx of the storage device 1, whichis executed in cooperation with the storage device 1 and the host 2 inthe information processing system SYS of the first embodiment.

The host 2 (executing the calibration processing program 200) firststores the minimum value of Count as an initial value in an area securedin the main memory 22 to be used for incrementing the Count from theminimum value to the maximum value (b1). The host 2 repeats processes b2to b10 until the Count stored in this area reaches the maximum value.The processes b2 to b10 are surrounded by the dashed rectangle b100 inFIG. 6.

The host 2 first issues, to the storage device 1, a command (e.g., ModeSelect or Set Feature) for designating the port/lane to be calibrated,changing the Count value, and starting output of the pulse signal (b2).The particular port/lane to be calibrated is also referred to as atarget port/lane. In addition, in this context a “Mode Select” commandis a defined command in SAS for performing a setting change, and a “SetFeature” command is a defined command in NVM Express (NVMe) forperforming a setting change. NVMe is an interface standard for storagedevices developed based on PCIe. These are examples, and the presentdisclosure is not limited thereto. In any event, the host 2 issues thesecommands to the storage device 1 using a port/lane other than the targetport/lane. Here, it is assumed that commands are passed from the host 2to the storage device 1 via the interface 3. However, since the storagedevice 1 includes the UART 150, commands may be passed via the UART 150instead of the interface 3. The Count value notified to the storagedevice 1 in b2 is the Count value previously stored in the area securedon the main memory 22 as described above.

The storage device 1 (or the calibration processing unit 121) changesthe Count value corresponding to the designated port/lane in response toa command from the host 2 (b3), and then notifies the host 2 of thecommand execution completion (b4). This notification may be performedusing the port/lane used by the host 2 to issue the command, that is,the notification may be transmitted via a port/lane other than thetarget port/lane. The storage device 1 also then outputs a pulse signalfrom the transmission circuit Tx of the target port/lane whose Countvalue has been changed (b5).

The host 2 measures a high amplitude value and a low amplitude value ofthe pulse signal input to the reception circuit Rx of the targetport/lane (b6). When the measurement is completed, the host 2 issues, tothe storage device 1, a command (e.g., Mode Select or Set Feature) fordesignating the target port/lane and stopping the output of the pulsesignal therefrom (b7). The host 2 also issues this command using aport/lane other than the target port/lane. In response to this command,the storage device 1 stops the output of the pulse signal from thetransmission circuit Tx of the designated port/lane (b8), and notifiesthe host 2 of the command execution completion (b9).

The host 2 then increments the Count value (b10) and repeats theprocesses from b2. When the Count value reaches the maximum value, thehost 2 exits the loop of the processes b2 to b10 and then derives anoptimum value for the Count for the pulse signal output from thetransmission circuit Tx of the storage device 1 based on the result ofthe measurement(s) in b6 (b11). The host 2 saves the derived Countoptimum value in a nonvolatile area, such as a BIOS-ROM of the host 2.The BIOS-ROM is, for example, a flash memory or the like so that theBIOS can be updated from time to time.

The host 2 issues, to the storage device 1, a command (e.g., Mode Selector Set Feature) for setting the derived Count optimum value to thetarget port/lane (b12). The storage device 1 sets the Count optimumvalue received from the host 2 in the register 303 of the PHY 111 (b13).Also, in the storage device 1, this Count optimum value is stored in anonvolatile area such as in the NAND 12 (b14). When the setting and thestoring of the Count value are completed, the storage device 1 notifiesthe host 2 of the command execution completion (b15).

When the notification of the command execution completion is receivedfrom the storage device 1, the host 2 executes Link Reset process withthe storage device 1 to initialize the target port/lane (b16).

In this way, under the handling of the host 2, the storage device 1 andthe host 2 cooperate with each other to implement the calibration forthe pulse signal output from the transmission circuit Tx of the storagedevice 1.

FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of example calibration for a pulse signaloutput from the transmission circuit Tx of the host 2, which is executedin cooperation with the storage device 1 and the host 2 in theinformation processing system SYS of the first embodiment. As in thecase of calibration for the pulse signal output from the transmissioncircuit Tx of the storage device 1 (FIG. 6), a port/lane other than thetarget port/lane is used for each command and response.

The host 2 (calibration processing program 200) first sets the minimumvalue Count in the register 403 of the PHY 231 for the target port/lane(c1). The host 2 repeats the process (c2 to c13) while changing theCount up to the maximum value. The processes c2 to c13 are surrounded bythe dashed rectangle c100 in FIG. 7.

The host 2 issues, to the storage device 1, a command (e.g., Mode Selector Set Feature) for designating a target port/lane and starting themeasurement of the pulse signal (c2). That is, the host 2 requests themeasurement of the high amplitude value and the low amplitude value ofthe pulse signal output to the transmission circuit Tx of the targetport/lane. In other words, the pulse signal input to the receptioncircuit Rx of the target port/lane in the storage device 1 is measured.The storage device 1 (more particularly, calibration processing unit 121in this example) prepares to measure the pulse signal (c3), and thennotifies the host 2 of the command execution completion (c4) once thepreparation is completed.

Upon receipt of the command execution completion from the storage device1, the host 2 enables the generation of the pulse signal of the targetport/lane (c5). This setting is executed with respect to the PHY 231.With this setting, the host 2 outputs the pulse signal from thetransmission circuit Tx of the target port/lane 401 (c6).

The storage device 1 measures the high amplitude value and the lowamplitude value of the pulse signal input to the reception circuit Rx ofthe target port/lane (c7). The host 2 issues, to the storage device 1, acommand (e.g., Mode Sense or Get Feature) for requesting the measurementresults for the high amplitude value and the low amplitude value of thepulse signal received by the reception circuit Rx of the targetport/lane in the storage device 1 for which the measurement wasrequested in c2 (c8). For example, the host 2 issues a command (e.g.,Mode Sense or Get Feature) after a certain period of time has elapsedafter the pulse output of c6. In this context, “Mode Sense” is a commanddefined in SAS, and “Get Feature” is a command defined in NVMe. Theseare examples, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Aftersuch commands are received, the storage device 1 responds to the host 2with the high amplitude value and the low amplitude value of the pulsesignal as measured in c7 (c9).

Upon receipt of the measurement result, the host 2 issues, to thestorage device 1, a command (e.g., Mode Select or Set Feature) fordesignating a target port/lane and stopping the measurement of the pulsesignal (c10). The storage device 1 that has received such a commandstops the measurement of the pulse signal being input to the receptioncircuit Rx of the target port/lane (c11) and then notifies the host 2 ofthe command execution completion (c12).

The host 2 increments the Count value (c13) and repeats the processesfrom c2. When the Count value reaches the maximum value, the host 2exits the loop of the processes c2 to c13) (group surrounded by thedashed rectangle indicated by the reference numeral c100), and derivesan optimum value of Count for the pulse signal output from thetransmission circuit Tx of the host 2 based on the result of themeasurement received in c9 (c14).

The host 2 saves the derived Count optimum value in a nonvolatile areaof the host 2, such as the BIOS-ROM implemented as flash memory or thelike, and sets it in the register 403 of the PHY 231 (c15). When thesetting is completed, the host 2 executes a Link Reset process with thestorage device 1 to initialize the target port/lane (c16).

In this way, under the handling of the host 2, the storage device 1 andthe host 2 cooperate with each other to implement calibration of thepulse signal output from the transmission circuit Tx of the host 2 (seealso FIG. 3).

In the information processing system SYS of the first embodiment, thestorage device 1 and the host 2 can cooperate with each other to set theCounts for both the storage device 1 and the host 2 to the optimumvalues for the target port/lane. That is, the information processingsystem SYS of the present embodiment can thus appropriately adjust theduty ratio of the pulse signal output to the transmission line such asthe interface 3.

The calibration for the storage device 1 side (FIG. 6) and thecalibration for the host 2 side (FIG. 7) may be executed one by one inorder or in parallel.

Second Embodiment

For example, when the interface 3 is SAS, both the PHY 111 of thestorage device 1 and the PHY 231 of the host 2 are provided withcounters such as “Invalid Dword” or “Running Disparity” for countingvarious errors detected for the signals input to the reception circuitsRx of the paired ports/lanes 301 and 401. These counters are provided,for example, in the registers 303 and 403. In the storage device 1, theinformation of these counters can be recorded as S.M.A.R.T(Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) information.

An error event at the interface 3 counted by the counters provided inthe PHYs 111 and 231 may also be referred to as an I/F ERROR. If thenumber of I/F ERRORs counted increases, the duty ratios of the pulsesignals by the DCC circuits 302 and 402 may have not been sufficientlyadjusted and there may be a problem with the jitter in the signal beingcommunicated.

Therefore, in the information processing system SYS of the secondembodiment, the number of I/F ERRORs is counted and monitored during theperiod when the communication between the storage device 1 and the host2 is in an idle state, and if a large number of I/F ERRORs are detected,calibration is executed for the corresponding ports/lanes 301 and 401during the idle state.

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram of example calibration in the informationprocessing system SYS of the second embodiment.

In this example, it is assumed that, after initialization of theports/lanes 301 and 401 is performed between the storage device 1 andthe host 2 (d11), the communication between the storage device 1 and thehost 2 enters an idle state (d12), and then a certain period of timeelapses in the idle state (d13).

After this elapse of time in the idle state, the host 2 (or moreparticularly the calibration processing program 200 in this example)refers to the number of I/F ERRORs counted by the counter in the PHY 231(d1). The host 2 issues, to the storage device 1, a command forreferring to the number of I/F ERRORs counted in the storage device 1(d2). When this command is received, the storage device 1 (or moreparticularly the calibration processing unit 121 in this example)notifies the host 2 of the number of I/F ERRORs counted by the counterin the PHY 111 (d3).

When either one of the number of I/F ERRORs on the host 2 side or thenumber of I/F ERRORs on the storage device 1 side exceeds a thresholdvalue for a certain port/lane and the calibration for the port/lane hasnot yet been executed, the host 2 executes the calibration (see FIGS. 6and 7) as described in the first embodiment (d100).

Accordingly, in the information processing system SYS of the secondembodiment, there is a possibility of improving signal quality bydetecting the frequent I/F ERRORs and executing calibration while thecommunication between the storage device 1 and the host 2 is in an idlestate.

Third Embodiment

The information processing system SYS of the third embodiment aims tofurther improve the signal quality by combining the calibrationprocessing of the first embodiment with a method of detecting signalattenuation based on parameters of a decision feedback equalization(DFE) circuit described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-171577(JP-A-2019-46389) filed by the applicant of the present application.

The DFE circuit is provided in the reception circuit Rx and provides anoutput equivalent to a signal distorted being in the process of passingthrough the transmission line such as interface 3. When the attenuationof the pulse signal input to the reception circuit Rx is detected basedon the parameters of the DFE circuit (for example, a feedbackcoefficient), using a technique such as pre-emphasis, calibration isexecuted to raise the output level of the pulse signal from thetransmission circuit Tx corresponding to the reception circuit Rx. Thiscalibration is referred to as DFE calibration. The combination of thecalibration (or the jitter calibration) in the first embodiment and theDFE calibration is referred to as jitter-DFE calibration. Theinformation processing system SYS of the third embodiment determineswhether or not the jitter-DFE calibration is necessary during a periodwhen the communication between the storage device 1 and the host 2 is inthe idle state, and if it is determined to be necessary, the jitter-DFEcalibration is executed.

FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram of example jitter-DEF calibration executedin the information processing system SYS of the third embodiment.

After initialization of the ports/lanes 301 and 401 is performed betweenthe storage device 1 and the host 2 (e11), the communication between thestorage device 1 and the host 2 enters an idle state (e12) at anytiming, and a certain period of time elapses in the idle state (e13).

Following the elapse of time in the idle state, the host 2 (moreparticularly, the calibration processing program 200 in this example)refers to the number of I/F ERRORs counted by the counter in the PHY 231(e1). Further, the host 2 refers to the parameters of the DFE circuit ofthe reception circuit Rx on the host 2 side (e2).

Subsequently, the host 2 issues, to the storage device 1, a command forreferring to the number of I/F ERRORs that have been counted in thestorage device 1 (e3). When this command is received, the storage device1 (or more particularly the calibration processing unit 121 in thisexample) notifies the host 2 of the number of I/F ERRORs counted by thecounter in the PHY 111 (e4). The host 2 then issues, to the storagedevice 1, a command for referring to the parameters of the DFE circuitof the reception circuit Rx on the storage device 1 side (e5). Uponreceipt of this command, the storage device 1 notifies the host 2 of theparameters of the DFE circuit on the storage device 1 side (e6).

When at either one of the number of I/F ERRORs on the host 2 side or thenumber of I/F ERRORs on the storage device 1 side exceeds a thresholdvalue in a certain port/lane, the host 2 executes the jitter-DEFcalibration (e100).

For example, the host 2 detects the attenuation of one or both of thepulse signal input to the reception circuit Rx on the host 2 side andthe pulse signal input to the reception circuit Rx on the storage device1 side based on the parameters of the DFE circuit on the host 2 side andthe parameters of the DFE circuit on the storage device 1 side (e14). Areference destination Rx in FIG. 9 is the reception circuit Rx on thehost 2 side or the reception circuit Rx on the storage device 1 side,which is the detection target. When signal attenuation is detected, thehost 2 executes DFE calibration by using a technique such aspre-emphasis to raise the output level of the pulse signal from thetransmission circuit Tx corresponding to the reception circuit Rx (e15).By this DFE calibration, the parameters of the DFE circuit of thereference destination Rx become the normal setting values.

The host 2 then executes jitter calibration (see FIGS. 6 and 7)described for the first embodiment (e16).

Accordingly, the information processing system SYS of the thirdembodiment is capable of further improving the signal quality byexecuting the jitter-DFE calibration, which is a combination of DFEcalibration and jitter calibration.

Fourth Embodiment

While in the second embodiment and the third embodiment, the calibrationis executed with the detection of the frequent I/F ERRORs acting as atrigger, the detection of any specific event(s) by the informationprocessing system SYS (or by the host 2) does not have to be the triggerfor executing the calibration. The information processing system SYS ofthe fourth embodiment executes the calibration upon a request by a user,such as a system administrator. Such a request is a trigger to start thecalibration processing in this fourth embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram of example calibration in the informationprocessing system SYS of the fourth embodiment.

First, the user performs an operation to request execution of thejitter-DFE calibration between the host 2 and the storage device 1 byusing, for example, a management console PC 4 that has a function ofcommunicating with the host 2 (f1). The management console PC 4 that hasreceived the user's operation requests for the host 2 to execute thejitter-DFE calibration (f2).

Upon receipt of the request from the management console PC, the host 2cooperates with the storage device 1 to execute the jitter-DFEcalibration (see FIG. 9) described in the third embodiment (f100). Whenthe jitter-DFE calibration is completed, the host 2 notifies themanagement console PC 4 of the completion of the jitter-DFE calibrationexecution (f3).

The management console PC 4 notifies the user of the completion ofjitter-DFE calibration execution, for example, through a display (f4).

Accordingly, in the information processing system SYS of the fourthembodiment, a user can execute jitter-DFE calibration in cooperationwith the storage device 1 and the host 2 at any time.

In addition to jitter-DFE calibration, it is also possible for a user toindividually request and execute jitter calibration or DFE calibration.

Fifth Embodiment

In the first to fourth embodiments, the storage device 1 and the host 2cooperate with each other to execute the calibration under the overallcontrol of the host 2. In the fifth embodiment, the either the storagedevice 1 or the host 2 can execute the calibration by itself. FIG. 11shows an example in which the storage device 1 executes calibration byitself according to the fifth embodiment.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the port/lane 301 of the storagedevice 1 and the port/lane 401 of the host 2 are directly connected, andthe pulse signal output from one transmission circuit Tx is observed inthe corresponding reception circuit Rx in both directions to derive theoptimum value of each Count. In the fifth embodiment, two ports/lanes301 in the storage device 1 are loopback-connected with each other by,for example, a cross cable 5, and the pulse signal output from onetransmission circuit Tx of one of the two ports/lanes 301 is observed inthe corresponding reception circuit Rx of the other one of the twoports/lanes 301 in both directions to derive the optimum value of eachCount. This process can be internal to the storage device 1.

The calibration processing unit 121 of the storage device 1 of the fifthembodiment thus also has the same or substantially the same functions asthose of the calibration processing program 200 of the host 2 describedfor the first to fourth embodiments. The storage device 1 (moreparticularly, the calibration processing unit 121 in this example)inputs a parameter for designating the target port/lane 301, a commandfor requesting execution of calibration, and the like via the UART 150.

For example, when two ports/lanes 301 are designated by a parameter andexecution of calibration is requested by a command inputted via the UART150, the storage device 1 outputs pulse signals from the transmissioncircuits Tx of the two ports/lanes 301 while changing each Count valuefrom the minimum value to the maximum value and observes the pulsesignals in the reception circuits Rx of the two ports/lanes 301. Thestorage device 1 searches for a cross point where the absolute value ofthe amplitude on the high side of the pulse signal matches the absolutevalue of the amplitude on the low side thereof and derives the Countvalue at the cross point as an optimum value.

FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram of an example jitter calibration of thestorage device 1 of the fifth embodiment.

First, a user such as a system administrator performs an operation torequest execution of Jitter calibration by using the management consolePC 4 that has a function of loopback-connecting two ports/lanes 301 ofthe storage device 1 and communicating with the storage device 1 via theUART 150 of the storage device 1 (g1). This operation may includedesignation of a port/lane. The management console PC 4 that hasreceived the user's operation requests the storage device 1 to executethe jitter calibration (g2).

Upon receipt of the request, the storage device 1 (or the calibrationprocessing unit 121) stores the minimum value of Count as an initialvalue (g3) in, for example, an area secured on the SRAM 140 forincrementing the Count from the minimum value to the maximum value. Thestorage device 1 repeats processes g4 to g8 until the Count stored inthis area reaches the maximum value. The processes g4 to g8 aresurrounded by the dashed rectangle g100 in FIG. 12.

After the initialization (g3), the storage device 1 changes the Countvalues of the pulse signals output from the transmission circuits Tx ofboth ports/lanes in the loopback connection to the current Count valuesstored in the area secured on the SRAM 140 or the like described above(g4). After changing the Count values, the storage device 1 outputs thepulse signals from the transmission circuits Tx of both ports/lanes(g5).

The storage device 1 measures a high amplitude value and a low amplitudevalue of each of the pulse signals received in the reception circuits Rxof the two ports/lanes 301 corresponding to the transmission circuits Txthat has outputted the pulse signals (g6). When the measurement iscompleted, the storage device 1 stops outputting the pulse signals fromthe transmission circuits Tx of both ports/lanes (g7).

The storage device 1 increments the Count value (g8) and repeats theprocesses from g4. When the Count value before increment reaches themaximum value, the storage device 1 exits the loop of the processes g4to g8 and derives an optimum value of Count for the pulse signals outputfrom the transmission circuits Tx for both ports/lanes based on theresult of the measurement in g6 (g9). The storage device 1 sets thederived Count optimum value in the register 303 of the PHY 111 andstores it in a nonvolatile area such as in the NAND 12 (g10).

When the setting and the storing of the Count optimum value arecompleted, the storage device 1 notifies the management console PC 4 ofthe completion of the jitter calibration (g11). The management consolePC 4 then notifies the user of the completion of jitter calibration, forexample, through a display (g12).

Accordingly, in the fifth embodiment, the storage device 1 can executethe calibration processing by itself by loopback-connecting of the twoports/lanes 301 of the storage device 1. A similar configuration andsequence for the jitter calibration can be applied to the host 2 so thatthe host 2 can also be calibrated by itself by loopback-connecting twoports/lanes 401 of the host 2.

In addition to jitter calibration, jitter-DFE calibration and DFEcalibration can also be executed by loopback connection.

In the above examples, an example of exchanging calibration and DFErelated information using commands such as Mode Select or Set Featureand Mode Sense or Get Feature has been described. In other embodiments,it is also possible to exchange calibration and DFE-related informationby extending the interface protocol to incorporate additional commandsor exchanges. For example, in the case of the SAS protocol, aCoefficient change request of APTA or the like can be extended andsubstituted instead of the above commands.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments havebeen presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit thescope of the disclosure. Indeed, the novel embodiments described hereinmay be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, variousomissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodimentsdescribed herein may be made without departing from the spirit of thedisclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intendedto cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope andspirit of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An information processing system, comprising: ahost; and a storage device configured to transmit a first pulse signalto the host through a transmission line and receive a second pulsesignal from the host through the transmission line, wherein the storagedevice comprises: a first register configured to store a value of afirst parameter, and a first correction circuit configured to adjust afirst duty ratio of the first pulse signal according to the value of thefirst parameter in the first register; and the host comprises a firstcalibration processor configured to: measure a plurality the first dutyratios of the first pulse signal as output from the storage device withthe value of the first parameter being set in the first register to aplurality of different values; derive a first optimum value of the firstparameter based on the measured first duty ratios adjusted according tothe plurality of different values of the first parameter; and transmitthe derived first optimum value to the storage device as the value ofthe first parameter to be stored in the first register.
 2. Theinformation processing system according to claim 1, wherein the hostfurther comprises: a second register configured to store a value of asecond parameter; and a second correction circuit configured to adjust asecond duty ratio of the second pulse signal according to the value ofthe second parameter in the second register.
 3. The informationprocessing system according to claim 2, wherein the storage devicefurther comprises a second calibration processor configured to: measurea pulse width of the second pulse signal received from the host; andtransmit the measured pulse width to the host.
 4. The informationprocessing system according to claim 3, wherein the first calibrationprocessor of the host is further configured to: derive a second optimumvalue for the second parameter based on measured pulse widths receivedfrom the storage device; and store the derived second optimum value inthe second register.
 5. The information processing system according toclaim 2, wherein the transmission line includes at least two ports orlanes, each port or lane comprising a signal line that carries a signalfrom the host to the storage device and a signal line that carries asignal from the storage device to the host.
 6. The informationprocessing system according to claim 5, wherein the first calibrationprocessor is configured to transmit a command including a designation ofa particular port or a lane to the storage device using a port or a lanethat is different from the particular port or lane.
 7. The informationprocessing system according to claim 6, wherein the second calibrationprocessor is configured to transmit, to the host, a response to thereceived command by using the port or the lane on which the command wasreceived rather than the designated port or lane.
 8. The informationprocessing system according to claim 2, wherein the host includes afirst counter, the storage device includes a second counter, and thefirst and second counters are configured to count the number of errorsdetected in a signal transmitted through the transmission line.
 9. Theinformation processing system according to claim 8, wherein the firstcalibration processor is further configured to check, during a period inwhich communication between the host and the storage device is in anidle state, whether a counted value of the first counter exceeds a firstthreshold value or a counted value of the second counter exceeds asecond threshold value.
 10. The information processing system accordingto claim 9, wherein the first calibration processor is furtherconfigured to derive at least one of the first optimum value or a secondoptimum value for the second parameter if either of the counted value inthe first or second counters respectively exceeds the first or secondthreshold values.
 11. The information processing system according toclaim 8, wherein each of the host and the storage device includes adecision feedback equalizer configured to correct a signal receivedthrough the transmission line.
 12. The information processing systemaccording to claim 11, wherein the first calibration processor isfurther configured to: detect attenuation of the first pulse signal orthe second pulse signal based on a third parameter of the first decisionfeedback equalizer of the host or a fourth parameter of the seconddecision feedback equalizer of the storage device before deriving thefirst optimum value of the first parameter or a second optimum value forthe second parameter; and raise an output level of the first or secondpulse signal at a transmission source of the first or second pulsesignal for which the attenuation is detected.
 13. A storage device,comprising: a register configured to store a value of a parameter foradjusting a duty ratio of a pulse signal output to a transmission line;a correction circuit configured to adjust the duty ratio of a firstpulse signal to be transmitted on the transmission line, the duty ratiobeing set based on the value of the parameter in the register; and acalibration processor configured to: in response to a first instructionfrom a host capable of being connected through the transmission line,output the first pulse signal to the transmission line at a plurality ofduty ratios as set by the correction circuit using a plurality ofdifferent values for the parameter; and in response to a secondinstruction from the host, store a first optimum value as the value ofthe parameter in the register.
 14. The storage device according to claim13, wherein the calibration processor is configured to: in response to athird command received from the host, measure a duty ratio of a secondpulse signal received from the host; and transmit a result of themeasurement to the host.
 15. A calibration method, comprising: issuing,from a host device to a storage device, a first command to change avalue of a first parameter stored in a first register of the storagedevice, the parameter controlling a duty ratio of a first pulse signalto be output from the storage device on a transmission line; outputting,from the storage device to the host device on the transmission line, thefirst pulse signal with a plurality of different duty ratios setaccording to a plurality different values of the parameter as changed inresponse to the first command from the host device; measuring aplurality of duty ratios of the first pulse signal received from thestorage device and deriving a first optimum value of the parameter basedon the measured duty ratios for the plurality of different values of theparameter; and setting the derived first optimum value of the parameteras the value of the parameter stored in the first register, in responseto a second command from the host device.
 16. The calibration methodaccording to claim 15, further comprising measuring, at the host device,high and low amplitude values of the first pulse signal received fromthe storage device.
 17. The calibration method according to claim 15,further comprising: using a command from the host device to designate aparticular port or lane of the transmission line to receive theoutputting of the first pulse signal.
 18. The calibration methodaccording to claim 17, wherein the command to designate the particularport or lane is received by the storage device on a different port orlane from the particular port or lane designated by the command.
 19. Thecalibration method according to claim 15, wherein the second command isa Set Feature command that is a defined command in a NVM Expressstandard.
 20. The calibration method according to claim 15, wherein thesecond command is a Mode Select command that is a defined command in aSerial Attached SCSI standard.